Method and system for generating auxiliary-server cache identifiers

• US 20040015538A1
• Filed: 07/18/2002
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McElroy, Thomas F., Ims, Steven D., Martin, Brian K., Agarwalla, Rajesh S., Meduri, Subbarao, Topol, Brad B., Chetuparambil, Madhu, Shupp, Daniel C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product, by which portions of the session information that page-content is dependent upon are “pushed” to the client from the origin server in a way such that auxiliary servers, e.g. other application servers and edge-servers, have access to the session information and fragment dependancy data to generate auxiliary-server cache-IDs for the custom pages. This enables distribution of the load away from the origin server, allowing better application distribution and scalability through more effective caching.

Claims

1. In a network environment in which a user, via a client, requests content from an origin server, a method for caching dynamic content at an auxiliary server, comprising the steps of:

identifying fragment dependency data in said origin server content;

serving said fragment dependency data to the client;

generating a cache ID based on said fragment dependency data;

modifying the requested content to include said cache ID; and

caching said modified content on said auxiliary server.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cache ID generating step comprises at least the step of:

generating auxiliary-server include-tags that reference said fragment dependency data.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said modifying step comprises at least the step of:

modifying the requested content to replace existing include tags with said auxiliary-server include-tags.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3, wherein said caching step comprises at least the step of:

caching said modified content on said auxiliary server, identifiable by said cache ID.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4, wherein said identified fragment dependency data is encrypted prior to serving said fragment dependency data to the client.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5, wherein said dynamic content comprises web content.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6, wherein said auxiliary server comprises an edge server.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said fragment dependency data served to the client comprises one or more cookies.

9. In a network environment in which a user, via a client, requests content from an origin server, a system for caching dynamic content at an auxiliary server, comprising:

means for identifying fragment dependency data in said origin server content;

means for serving said fragment dependency data to the client;

means for generating a cache ID based on said fragment dependency data;

means for modifying the requested content to include said cache ID; and

means caching said modified content on said auxiliary server.

10. A system as set forth in claim 9, wherein said cache ID generating means comprises at least:

means for generating auxiliary-server include-tags that reference said fragment dependency data.

11. A system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said modifying means comprises at least:

means for modifying the requested content to replace existing include tags with said auxiliary-server include-tags.

12. A system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said caching means comprises at least:

means for caching said modified content on said auxiliary server, identifiable by said cache ID.

13. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said identified fragment dependency data is encrypted prior to serving said fragment dependency data to the client.

14. A system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said dynamic content comprises web content.

15. A system as set forth in claim 14, wherein said auxiliary server comprises an edge server.

16. A system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said auxiliary server comprises an edge server.

17. A system as set forth in claim 16, wherein said fragment dependency data served to the client comprises one or more cookies.

18. In a network environment in which a user, via a client, requests content from an origin server, a computer program product for caching dynamic content at an auxiliary server, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:

computer-readable program code that identifies fragment dependency data in said origin server content;

computer-readable program code that serves said fragment dependency data to the client;

computer-readable program code that generates a cache ID based on said fragment dependency data;

computer-readable program code that modifies the requested content to include said cache ID; and

computer-readable program code that caches said modified content on said auxiliary server.

19. A computer program product as set forth in claim 18, wherein said computer-readable program code that generates a cache ID comprises at least computer-generated program code that:

generates auxiliary-server include-tags that reference said fragment dependency data.

20. A computer program product as set forth in claim 19, wherein said computer-readable program code that modified a cache ID comprises at least computer-generated program code that:

modifies the requested content to replace existing include tags with said auxiliary-server include-tags.

21. A computer program product as set forth in claim 20, wherein said computer-readable program code that caches a cache ID comprises at least computer-generated program code that:

caches said modified content on said auxiliary server, identifiable by said cache ID.

22. A computer program product as set forth in claim 21, wherein said identified fragment dependency data is encrypted prior to serving said fragment dependency data to the client.

23. A computer program product as set forth in claim 22, wherein said dynamic content comprises web content.

24. A computer program product as set forth in claim 23, wherein said auxiliary server comprises an edge server.

25. A computer program product as set forth in claim 24, wherein said fragment dependency data served to the client comprises one or more cookies.